What Are 'Open Casting' And 'FONMO' That GenZ Is Talking About?

Dating trends are ever-changing, especially with the Gen Z population coming up with new terms and phrases for new and pre-existing concepts. One of the many things that Gen Z is clear about when it comes to dating is breaking stereotypes, gender bias, and regressive social norms.

As identified by the dating app Bumble in its Love Unfiltered Report 2023, Gen Z is forging a new path in their dating landscape by inventing and embracing new trends such as "open casting" and "FONMO (no fear of missing out)."

The New Gen Z Dating Trends

Gen-Zers are clear about "radical honesty," clarity," and "emotional maturity" in the dating scenario. The survey by the dating app revealed that 52 percent of the participants belonging to the Gen Z daters prioritised honesty and clarity about their dating intentions.

Open Casting

Open casting, which is the opposite of typecasting, is one of the many unabashed approaches Gen Z has embraced in their dating culture. Type casting, which usually requires both men and women to fit into socially accepted beauty standards such as men being "tall, dark, and handsome" while women being "fair, slim, and flawless," is no longer the norm.

Open casting rewrites the dating trends and rules that applied to previous generations. This generation is open to dating people for who they are and not based on what they look like. Gen Z seems to pretty much have a clear understanding that true connection goes beyond physical appearances. According to the survey, 38 percent of the respondents said they were open to dating beyond their "type". 41 percent of women and 38 percent of men seemed to be more flexible when it came to their dating choices.

FONMO

The next trend, FONMO (No Fear of Missing Out), is the generation's way of saying that they aren’t in a hurry to adhere to society's deadlines. They understand that love should happen at its own pace at the right time with the right person for the right reasons, and one cannot force it. People don’t have to rush into relationships, marriage, parenthood, etc. just because society has attached a timestamp to every milestone and views you as a failure if you aren’t following it.

Gen Z doesn’t hesitate to toss away the rule book and write their own flexible rules, keeping their needs and priorities in mind. They are vocal about their beliefs, needs, and priorities. It’s refreshing to see this generation of youngsters projecting a clear idea of love life without letting social norms affect them. They also seem to have a clear idea of toxic dating trends which will save them from potentially bad relationships. Also, seeing Gen Zers being clear about their life choices and setting boundaries is a hope for a better future.